OTS #10: Divergent the Movie

As many people know, Divergent was released on the 21st of March, 2014. Many anxious Divergent fans have long-awaited this moment while also acknowledging the fact that pansycakes everywhere will claim to be Divergent fans when they didn't even read the book. READ THE BOOK; IT'S AWESOME!

Of course, the movie was good, but not as good as the book. One of the scenes that I anticipated the most happened to not make it in the movie (if anyone was wondering, the scene I'm talking about is the Peter, Edward, and butterknife bit).

Other aspects of the book were changed in the movie, such as Tobias/Four's age. In the book, Four is said to be 18, only two years older than Woodley's character, Tris Prior. Their age difference isn't that big and is accepted by most readers. HOWEVER, in the movie, Four is suppose to be 24 because the actor playing his character, Theo James, is 29 and looks it. This puts 8 whole years in between Tris and Four, which is unappealing to some, especially since Tris is still a minor while Four is not.

Obviously, the number of fears Tris has is not going to be very important in the plot of the movie. In the book, she has seven, a number that changes later on in the series. But in the movie, only five are shown. One of her fears, intimacy with Four, is portrayed as an almost-rape. I can't remember the movie as well as I did yesterday, but I don't think Four reacted to seeing that fear (since he was in the room during the final test) as he did in the book when Tris told him about it. In fact, I don't think Four reacted to it at all.

After seeing Divergent, I became very anxious to see TFIOS, which happens to be featuring Shailene Woodley as Hazel and Ansel Elgort as Gus. Both actors were in Divergent as bother and sister (Woodley played Tris and Elgort played Caleb). Luckily for TFIOS fans, Elgort is only 20 and will be able to pull off being a teenager. Woodley happens to be 22, making her older than Elgort, but I couldn't tell.

Anyway, it's a fantastic movie! I would recommend it!!!

OTS #5: City of Bones - The Movie and The Sequel

Yes, if you haven't guessed it already, I went to see the movie. Why? Because I was bored and had nothing better to do with my life. And I really wanted to see it.

Despite the fact that, in my review, I showed cleared distaste for many components of the book, I had very high hopes for the movie. When a story is in the form of a book, the reader is the one interpreting the story, making the scenery, characters, etc. in his or her mind based on how the author describes it. But on the screen, it's someone else's interpretation of the story. It's going to be different, even slightly, from the movie.

I was shocked. Everything seemed exactly the opposite. In the book, I hated Clary with a burning passion and loved everyone else, especially Jace. But in the movie, I  LOVED Clary! Jace seemed like he was trying to be hot or something (I really hated his hair). Everyone else was just a bunch of background characters. Nothing important.

And then there was the kiss. I never realized how the kiss really played out until I saw it on the big screen. Every single person in the theater was cracking up (me included) when the sprinklers turned out. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go see it. You'll understand.

One thing I didn't expect was the humor. I knew from the book that there were a few clever/witty remarks that might pass as funny, but the movie is something else entirely. I laughed a lot more than I thought I was, and I probably laughed at some of the parts that weren't suppose to be that funny. But, hey, as long as I enjoy it, right?

The movie isn't my favorite. I think it could have been better. But I wasn't as bad I as feared it was going to be. Everyone should defiantly go see it.


Now, the other day, I made a stop on the way home to my local bookstore. Why? Because I knew I was going to see the City of Bones movie soon and that I'd probably want to read City of Ashes afterward. I rush over to the teen section and see a table stacked with Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices books.

Only to find that City of Ashes is missing from the stack. There was plenty of Infernal Devices books, about twenty copies of City of Bones, ten copies of City of Glass, and a few of City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls, but not a single copy of City of Ashes.

What's up with that? Obviously, everyone was like me and decided to pick up a copy of City of Ashes on the way home. So, I won't be able to read it anytime soon. Don't expect a review for it anytime soon.

But, yeah, after watching the movie, I have high hopes for the Mortal Instruments. Maybe I'll actually like Clary in the books to come. Writing styles are always improving, especially throughout a series. If you haven't seen the movie, go see it. If you have City of Ashes, give it to me!